1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a safety device for chicks in automatic poultry feeders with feed troughs, designed for mounting in those positions where a feed chain runs into a feed machine, or where the chain makes a turn.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For rearing chickens or broilers on a large scale, automatic feed troughs are used which dispense the food and spread it out. For this, use is made of feed troughs in which there runs a feed chain which carries with it the food into the trough. The feed chain runs in a closed loop, for example of rectangular shape, in which the chain, in several places, changes direction. In these places the chain will be guided by an idler or a chain sprocket. It is here that the trouble arises because the chicks, especially those less than four weeks old, have been drawn by the chain into the mechanism where the chain changes direction. The same problem occurs where the chain runs into the machine which dispenses food onto the chain, and also at the entrance to a food cleaner, in those installations equipped with these.
Devices are already known to prevent the chicks from being injured or killed in the above-mentioned places. U.S. Pat. No. 3250250 discloses a safety device of this type placed in the positions in question. This device comprises a flexible or resilient hoop which is activated continuously by the links in the feed chain. U.S. Pat. No. 3285230 shows a similar safety arrangement with a release arm and an ejector arm. In similarity with U.S. Pat. No. 3250250, the mechanism of U.S. Pat. No. 3285230 is also operated by the links in the chain. U.S. Pat. No. 3077182 discloses another protective device, which is based on pivotable tines which form a grid for diverting possible chicks. U.S. Pat. No. 4351273 is based on a similar design as in U.S. Pat. No. 3077182, but with a very special configuration of protective grid.
As already mentioned, it is particularly the newly-hatched chicks which cause the problem as they jump into the feed trough and are drawn along by the feed chain. When they do this, they have a tendency to carry with them sawdust and wood chips out into the trough and, in the case of arrangements known hitherto, this has resulted in the piling up of food and chips at the safety device, forming a barrier for the further transportation of the food in the trough. As a result, only minimal quantities are carried further in the pits in the feed chain. The material which piles up at the safety device can grow rapidly and spill out over the edges of the feed trough. The earlier solutions, particularly the first two mentioned above have, on account of their activating mechanisms and rapid agitation, resulted in noise which admittedly has frightened off the chicks, but the rigid and plate-like structure of these devices has made it possible for the larger chickens to get their feet caught up and crushed.